Gobble, Gobble Time
Pennsylvania
Hello everyone. Season less than two weeks away. I got a few birds located. One group has four long beards in it. Been shooting from a chair, as I use a blind. Ordered new broadhead, as I can't find my go to heard. The old Rocket Hammerhead. It's a 3 blade 2 inch when open. Saturday morning I'm heading to a place in northern Wayne County, to check one of my go to spots.
My old stand by call, (25 years) Quaker Boy diaphragm calls have been replaced. I got a new calls, called "Jase Outdoors" and they sound real good.
Anyone else getting psyched for opening day?
Good luck and shoot straight! Opening day here is meaningless, the bird's that once occupied montgomery county and Eastern chester county are gone, the yotes and feral cats took care of that. Enjoy the chase man.
I'll be in PA May 12 for 2 weeks for my annual hunt with my brothers in elk county. They've been doing the scouting, looks a bit tough this year but there are some birds around. Can't wait! Nothing beats turkey hunting in the morning and fishing in the afternoon for a couple of weeks!
Well, I’ve been spending most of the last 5 weeks at the hospital with my mom. 2 falls with major surgery and a move into assisted living in between. So needless to say, I haven’t had time for much else! : (
I’m HOPING by opening day mom will be out of the hospital and into a skilled nursing facility. IF so, I will be sitting in the woods somewhere that morning…………………..GOD I NEED this! ;-)
Got two groups pretty well pegged down on two different properties. Been keeping tabs on them just about every morning. Problem is I expect a change to their pattern soon. I have a suspicion that we are starting to get some hens sitting now around here.
I feel your pain 5C... I see as many turkeys as I see pheasants here in eastern Berks... It was polluted with turkeys (and pheasants) here at one time. Now they are extinct.
Mike, it's tragic. We did have some large groups of both, now it's a bird void. I have more coyotes and stinking feral cats on camera than anything.
Perry, I hope your mom heals quickly and completely.
Thanks Phil!
The dr. asked her who the President is the other day and she said “OH, THAT AWFUL JOE BIDEN!”……………..so she must be starting to feel like her “old self” again! ;-)
New turkey broadheads came today. I'll give them a try this weekend. I got Swhacker heads. Never shot them. We will see!
Too bad there's not many turkey in the southeast.
What do they look like Ed? Are they specifically for turkey?
Well I kinda screwed up. Ordered the wrong heads. I thought they were 2inches when opened and they are 1&3/4. They will work. But i may still order a bigger when open head in 100gr..
You like those for turkey Ed? And just curious……………..are you shooting at the NECK/HEAD with those? Or the BODY?
I only shoot for the body. The broadheads ment for shooting at the head are a pain in the ass. Hard to tune, hard to carry, and you got to be very careful shooting them out of the blind window not to hit it. I I'll hunt usually 8 to 10 days of the first 12 days. Hard enough carrying a blind, chair, backpack and a decoy or two. Not to mention a bow with a quiver. Those head broadheads require a special quiver.
Not sure where I'll hunt Saturday. I did like what I saw and heard Saturday morning. But that place is 45 minutes from home and a 45 minute walk to where the birds are. If the weather is good I my go up Friday night, roost a bird and camp out in my blind. I do that a lot in NY.
I have killed over a dozen gobblers with 2 inch Shwackers. They are my go to broadhead for turkeys.
Dpms, if i have ordered the 2 inch, I'd be happy and done. Today at lunch I started looking for a 3 blade 2 inch when open, mechanical head. Here's what I found Grim Reaper Razor cut SS Whitetail special.
They are not on Grim Reapers web site, so I guess they are not made an more. I found them on ebay, so I orders a pact. We will see! ED
Dpms, if i have ordered the 2 inch, I'd be happy and done. Soday at lunch I started looking for a 3 blade 2 inch when open, mechanical head. Here's what I found Grim Reaper Razor cut SS Whitetail special.
They are not on Grim Reapers web site, so I guess they are not made an more. I found them on ebay, so I orders a pact. We will see! ED
Does anyone here use a ghillie suit instead of a blind?
Good luck to all going out. Please post your pictures.
I borrowed a friends Ghille suit to try. Did some shooting in the back yard and didn't trust it shooting a compound or crossbow. IMO, just to easy for something to get caught up in the path of the string/cables. I shot several gobblers with arrows outside of the blind, but it adds another hurdle, thats for sure. I try to get tucked in real tight to some cover, not just backed up to a tree.
I never tried a Ghille suit. I think it would work getting them close. Drawing would be a whole different ball game.
dpms, I always throw some limbs and a few hand full of leaves on top. Just set it up walk back and look. Now throw some sticks and leaves on top and walk back to the same spot and look. That really helps break up the blind.
I never really had turkeys shy away from a blind. Only once. Deer are another story.
From: Teeton 28-Apr-24
Not sure where I'll hunt Saturday. I did like what I saw and heard Saturday morning. But that place is 45 minutes from home and a 45 minute walk to where the birds are. If the weather is good I my go up Friday night, roost a bird and camp out in my blind. I do that a lot in NY.
Sounds like you need an e-bike Ed! ;-)
Calling for rain Saturday morning now on the west side of the state. Thats just great. Not!!
Spent over 3 weeks down south and we have been home for a week. I saw a few birds and heard some gobbling in March just before we left. Up until yesterday I had only seen 1 hen and 1 jake below the barn and hadn't heard any gobbling. My 4 trail-cams all had some great pics of lots of birds the second and third weeks of April and I was starting to think the best part season was over. After lunch we went out to put up a blind in my go to spot. We saw a gobbler strutting across the big field as soon as we topped the hill and drove over to the food plot in a smaller field. Just as we got the last stake in the ground we heard a gobbler let loose less than a hundred yard away just inside the woods. We got out of there and now I am feeling a lot better about this season, even tho its starting so late.
Sounds good Art! Not sure I’m gonna get out there before the end of the season with all the stuff going on with my mom.
Gonna try to get out for a couple hours at my wife’s cousin’s place near Kunkletown on Saturday morning, but have to get to my moms condo in Lebanon by noon to take care of some things.
At this point I am just looking forward to sitting in the woods watching the sunrise and hearing a few gobbles! Anything else will just be a BONUS! ;-)
At least the on again off again weather might cooperate with us tomorrow here. And I have 3 blinds ready to go.
Yep. Watching the forecast this morning, we might get a break in the weather in the AM on the west side of the state. That would be great if it happens.
Weather here in the northeast corner looks good. With a 0% chance at 6am to a 20% by noon. 48 at 6 up to 60 at noon.
Good luck everyone.
My Grim Reapers heads came today, I'm liking them much better. 3 blade opens to 2 inches.
That's not my picture. Not sure where it came from.
Here a picture of my new hear.
That should do it Ed!
Heard 4 different gobblers this morning but they wouldn’t come in. But 2 fishers walked by at 40 yards. Then less than an hour later a bear! Got it all on video-pretty exciting! : )
No bird for me today, .saw a hen and 2 nice Tom's. Got a picture of them out at 30 yds thru the blind sceen. Birds made their way towards the blind. They were kinda hung up on the side of the blind that was closed up. So I tried to move so I could get a shoot. They saw me move,, well no bird. Here's that picture.
Rain stopped before sun up just long enough for Chise and I to head out our blinds which were 300 yards across the field from each other. There were very few gobbles and only a couple shots all morning. Sprinkled for a half hour just after sunrise. About 8:45 3 jakes came out of the woods and passed between Chise's blind and his decoy. They then swung around and started in my direction after I called, where they could see my strutting gobbler decoy. The biggest of the 3 had about a 4 inch beard and a bigger body. Eventually, he walked around my decoys at a little over 20 yards and stared at them for about 10 minutes. They all just walked away. Fun.
Art, sound like you had a good day. It's always good when you hear and see birds.
Now for my day Monday 5/6/24, at 6;15am. Thats what time it is right now and I'm back home. Me Dumb! I grab my bow and pack this morning, put it in the truck. Got to my spot, put my pack on and grabbed my bow and blind. Got to my spot I was going setup at, popped the blind up, when inside and then, only then, did I realized my quiver was not on my bow. The very wet grass helped me walk back the same steps to see if it fell off, nope. It was home, sitting on my garage floor. I'm glad this was my shortest walk spot I have. 400yds..
Ed, can not say I fully have been there. It's amazing the preparation we put into something only to be done in by a minute details.... sorry man,
I bet a nice gobbler flew down right in front of Teeton's blind this morning!
Heard 1 bird Saturday gobbling non-stop in the dark. 800+ yards. I worked that way. Was light till I was closing in and quiet. Then heard a shot and that ended that. No action the rest of morning.
